


Flash Fanfiction - Episode 12 - To Battle

by Mindmarvel



Series: Flash Fanfic Introducing Mind Marvel [12]
Category: The Flash - All Media Types
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-05
Updated: 2018-03-05
Packaged: 2019-03-27 08:49:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 10,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13877421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mindmarvel/pseuds/Mindmarvel
Summary: Barry has discovered that his best friends have been manipulated into working for the Lords of Chaos to fight in a large war. He needs to assemble a team to stop them.





	1. Chapter 1

Barry stared at Astrid, confused. "I don't understand. How can this be? You died!" he stammered.  
Her second in command reentered the room and stood by her side, noting that she had revealed who she really was to the entire room. His face was still and silent, wondering just what she had planned.

"Cisco, can you arrange for Mr Allen to be placed in a private cell? One of the interrogation rooms, please. You and I should speak with him alone." She said to her second. He, Sara and Eobard heeded her request.

Sara unlocked the cell and pointed her sword at Barry. They followed Cisco into another room, as Eobard locked the other prisoners back in their cell, and ensured that they couldn't escape from their bindings.

Astrid took a deep breath out of frustration, and followed Cisco, Barry and Sara into the interrogation cell, which was lined with an array of old fashioned-looking torture contraptions. On the other side of the room was a few chairs and a desk. The sight frightened Barry to the core, though he was relieved that Sara sat him on the chair, as per Astrid's request.

Sara left the room, so that it was only Cisco, Astrid and Barry alone.  
"What happened to you Astrid? Why have you aligned yourself with Reverb and Thawne?" Barry asked her.  
A slight menacing smile crossed over Cisco's face, though Astrid's face was expressionless.  
"Reverb, huh?" Cisco chuckled to himself. Barry looked at him, and then back at Astrid.

"I suppose that I should tell you, Bar. This man beside me, is not Reverb. He is our Cisco. The Cisco that you and I both knew as our best friend. The love of my life, my second in command… and my husband. I mean, who else would I have to build all those contraptions that you see behind you." She said as she smiled at Cisco, who took her hand.  
"I don't understand you guys… What is all this? Why would the two of you do all of this? Working with the Lords of Chaos? Killing people? Torturing people?" Barry asked, gesturing at the room around him, "How did the two of you survive the time reset, you especially, Astrid?"

"Oh, you heard about that?" Astrid said playfully, "yeah… your little time reset was supposed to kill me. I mean I had no idea that you going back through time and saving your mother… and not stopping a random car crash would kill me… I think that means that technically…technically you would have killed me… Barry. So, you see we're all killers here. Mordru saved me. Just as he brought back Cisco. It was my wish and he granted it! So why wouldn't I join the side that will win the war?"  
"This isn't you, Astrid!" Barry argued, "Sara… she said that he controls emotions… he is doing that to you, can't you see it? You're the strongest person that I have ever met, and you are letting him do…"

"Shut up, Barry!" Cisco shot at him.  
"Now, now Cisco. He has the right to believe as he chooses." Astrid said, as she held tight onto his hand.  
"You guys… This isn't right!" Barry went on, "You're not evil. The two of you would rather risk your lives than do this… I mean even Oliver…"

"Ollie makes a brilliant soldier!" Astrid remarked, "… and his interrogation techniques are brilliant… but I really hope he doesn't need to use them on you… Even sweet little Felicity has really… I don't know… come out of her shell… Its great! Mordru let me choose all of my soldiers… my own team… and my powers are not wasted here, either. Cisco and I used to think that my powers were a curse… but with them, I have gathered such an army… Oh and Barry, it gets better! Do you remember our little trip to Smallville? Well, the meteor shower brought about a little boy named Clark and he has grown up to become such an amazing wonder... Such a man of steel on the front line! He is almost invincible! Kryptonians! They are a real wonder!"

"Astrid. You're on some sort of power trip! The only reason your brought me in here is to try and convert me because you know that you can't use your mind control on me! I will not align with you. With any of you! I will stop all of this and I will free you both! I mean it!" Barry said.

Astrid shook her head out of pity. "Barry, I brought you here because I would prefer not to kill you. Thawne begged me to let him kill you. You were one of my best friends. I have Caitlin, I have Cisco and we are not a team without you. Together, we can achieve greatness! You will be on the front line, fighting in the big war alongside us! But I can see that this conversation is going nowhere. Cisco, can you lock him up in a cell, by himself? We will work on his friends and then come back to him, later."

Cisco nodded and led Barry out of the room and into the hall, where Sara was still waiting. The two of them led Barry to an isolated cell.  
Astrid returned back to the prison cell, that held Barry's friends. They would be easy to manipulate, they were all still bound and tied. Thawne was waiting by the door with the key in hand.

She gestured for him to give her the key, which he did, obediently. She unlocked and opened the door and focused on their minds individually. Keeping them all in a trance. She eyed the dopplegangers of Caitlin and Cisco first. "you all know who I am." She said, while using her mind control, "In fact, I have met a couple of you face to face. There is a war coming and we need soldiers on our side to fight. All of you have extraordinary gifts that will be amazing in the war to come. You will all give yourselves over to fight for Mordru and The Lords of Chaos, under my order. There will be no hesitations and there will be no regrets. You will need to train night and day and you will not submit. Nor will you stand for anyone to oppose you. You will fight to the death and there will be no turning back."

The group was still in a trance as she walked over to the opened door, where Thawne was still standing. "The three of them will be brilliant assets in the war." She commented.  
"Three of them?" Thawne asked, puzzled. "There were four!" he looked back over at the prisoners. There was a girl missing. Astrid and Thawne had overlooked one of their prisoners. Gypsy could camouflage and she had made her escape.  
"Find her!" Astrid demanded, "and alert everybody that we have an enemy at large." Eobard nodded and left immediately to find the girl.


	2. Chapter 2

Gypsy had slipped her bindings easily, thanks to the help of the metal corner on her chair in the cell. She had camouflaged herself to her surroundings and slipped by unnoticed to Astrid and Thawne, who had just opened the door to the cell.

Now, she was making her way through a hallway with multiple doors, looking for the room that contained her friend Zatanna. Caitlin had described the path, that led to a girl, who was being tortured by Oliver Queen and one of his associates. Gypsy felt that she was on the right track.

Suddenly, people began to pour into the room that she was in. They were searching for her. Gypsy stood against the wall in a corner, she closed her eyes, held her breath and let her powers do their stuff.

The crowds bypassed her, unknowingly and then they disappeared again. But, not before she had heard the painful moans of her friend Zatanna in one of the rooms. Gypsy opened one eye, just in time to see the room that she was in.

There were two men in the room with her, just as Caitlin had said and clearly they were guarding her. The door to the room closed again, and Gypsy was alone again. She needed to get into that room without being discovered. She opened a door to the left of her and peered in to the room. It was empty. Perfect!

She slammed the door shut to the room again and camouflaged herself to the wall again. She waited to see if her plan would work.  
The door to the room that Zatanna was in, opened and out walked Oliver Queen and his companion. "John. I think that girl escaped through one of those doors." He said.  
"You take one door and I take the another?" his companion suggested.

"Exactly what I was thinking."  
Gypsy remained quiet as she crept into the room that they had just left. She found Zatanna who sensed her presence immediately. "We need to hurry, Gypsy. We don't have much time."

Gypsy, still invisible, untied her friend's bindings. Zatanna could barely walk, but she stood and made her way to the chest in the corner. She opened it. "Ergh! They stole my wand!" she said frustrated. "...and my hat."  
"Do you need them?" Gypsy asked her.  
"I need them to help me channel my powers… or else things go horribly wrong!" Zatanna replied.  
"I promise you, Zee, we will try and find them! But we need to go and help the others." Gypsy replied.

"We will, Gypsy. I promise, but we can't help them now. Barry Allen is our main objective! Let's get the hell out of here, before those guys get back!" Zatanna replied.  
"…But Reyes!" Gypsy tried to argue.  
"…Will be subjected to the general's mind control. We will come back for him! I promise you. Let's go!" Gypsy supported Zatanna and the two of them made their escape, before anyone could see that Zatanna was missing.

They found Barry in an isolated room away from the rest of the cells and securely locked. They peered through the glass window at the top of the door, and ducked down as they noticed that someone was with him.  
"That's the general's lead assassin." Zatanna said.  
"Yeah, we sorta met and she betrayed us." Gypsy replied.  
"Well, we don't want her to see us. Can you cause a distraction, Gyps?"

"I sure can… get behind that wall." Gypsy said as she turned herself invisible and rattled the door handle violently. Sara Lance opened the door and looked around. But she saw nobody. Sara went to reclose the door, but was alerted to another noise down the hall. She left the room, closing the door behind her.  
"Barry… It's me!" Gypsy said, as she had entered the room and begun to untie him.  
"Gypsy?" Barry whispered, as she made herself visible to him, "Where's the others?"

"I managed to save Zatanna. She's on the other side of the door." she said softly as the bindings came free from Barry's arms and legs.  
Within minutes, the door opened again, startling them both but it was just Zatanna.  
"Barry, meet Zatanna… Zatanna…" Gypsy began, but Zatanna cut her off.

"We need to get out of here, before she comes back! You don't look like a big deal! What makes you so important, Mr Allen?" she asked him.  
"Because I can do this!" he declared as he took hold of both the girls and got them back safely to STAR Labs, in the blink of an eye.  
Zatanna and Gypsy both felt highly nauseas from the trip. "I think that I'm going to…" Zatanna began. But Gypsy had already beaten her to it and was vomiting in Caitlin's med bay sink.

"Yeah… I probably should have warned the two of you about that." Barry said, cheerfully.  
Gypsy sprayed some water on to her face. She was feeling a little better now. "I can't believe that we left the group there." She said sadly.  
Zatanna had just finished vomiting herself and was trying to freshen herself out too. "I feel like the first time I ever performed at the circus…" she commented.  
"So Gypsy said that you might know how to deal with all that is going on with the Lords of Chaos." Barry told her.  
Zatanna stared at him… "I do…" she wiped her mouth with a paper towel and threw it in the bin.  
"You do?" Barry asked her, waiting for her to elaborate.

"Yes… I know of two people that can help us… One of them goes by the name of John Constantine…" Zatanna said.  
"…and the other?" Barry asked.  
"Goes by the name of Kent Nelson!" she added.  
"Well great! Let's go get them!" Barry said with excitement.

Zatanna laughed. "No offense, speedy… but don't you think, that if it were that easy, I would have roped them in to helping us, ages ago?"  
"Hmmm." Barry replied glumly. "So why didn't you? I thought that you couldn't because you were a little… tied up!" he added as a joke.  
Zatanna stared at him. "Funny…" she said sarcastically. "No! John and I broke up a while back… he has been a little MIA since then… and Kent Nelson? Well I suppose we will only be able to find him if we are fated too."  
"I don't get what you mean…" Barry replied.

"Of course you don't… I thought you were supposed to be some sort of scientist… He goes by the name of Dr Fate."  
"Fate? Is this some sort of joke? Fate as in destiny, luck? Magic? You have got to be kidding me!" Barry said rationally.

Zatanna and Gypsy both stared at him as if he had just insulted them, because in a way, he had.  
It was Gypsy that spoke this time. "Barry, you do realize that Zatanna is a magician and a sorceress?"  
He had not been aware of this information, until now. "No I didn't? But magic is just trickery, right?" he asked them.  
The two girls stared at him…  
"Barry," Zatanna replied… "Prepare to have your entire scientific little world shaken!"


	3. Chapter 3

"General… we have some very distressing news." Oliver spoke with hesitation as he and Sara Lance approached their masked general and her second in command.  
Astrid raised her eyebrows, she knew what they were about to say, though she waited for them to continue.  
"The girl freed both Barry Allen and Zatanna." Sara said softly, bowing her head in shame.  
"We already know…" Astrid said coldly. "Cisco, I will need you to gather our newest recruits…" she told her second.  
"What's the mission, general?" Sara asked her, confused.

"Sara, Oliver… gather your men. I'm done playing nice… We are going to storm STAR Labs!" Astrid said with conviction.  
She dismissed her followers and they closed the door behind them. She was alone in the great hall. But not for long. Mordru had returned. She bowed her head, out of respect. She had no intention of making him mad, not after last time… but she needed to tell him the news.

Unfortunately, he already knew. "You let Barry Allen and Zatanna leave!" he told her angrily.  
"No. No I didn't! I miscalculated when I …" she began.

"How dare you insult me child! You, impotent fool! You knew the price if you messed up!" he told her.  
"Please! No! I am working hard to rectify the situation! Please!" Astrid pleaded.

"Your emotions are getting the better of you… Maybe I should make it two casualties this time." He said.  
Astrid breathed through her tears, and as she began to calm down, she could feel Mordru's influence on her emotions. She was now calm.  
"I want you to kill Barry Allen… and all those that oppose you. You will not fail again!" he said as he disappeared before her eyes, just in time for the door to open.

The Reverse Flash entered the room at just the right time. She had forgotten that she had sent for him before she had been informed of Barry's escape.  
"You called for me?" he asked her.

"You know damn well that I did. I'm surprised that you were not here sooner. You could have used your super speed." She said angrily.  
"Yes, but I was looking for the runaways." Thawne said with arrogance.  
"I highly doubt that that was the case. You're a speedster. I sent for you because I have a task that I believe you will very much enjoy… I need you to end Barry Allen's life." This had not been Astrid's original motive for requesting Thawne to meet with her.

She knew that he had betrayed her, but she needed the proof. However, finding the proof would need to wait.  
"Might I ask, why your plans for Barry Allen have changed?" Thawne asked her.

"No, you may not. Now leave! Oliver and Sara are gathering an army to storm STAR Labs, as we speak." she dismissed him, without a second glance.  
Astrid knew that her failure to Mordru would cost her Dr Snow's life and that there was nothing that she could do about it, but wait for the inevitable to occur.

Failing the great lord of Chaos again could only mean something much worse, in the future. She knew that nobody wanted Barry Allen to die, more than Thawne… but what if even he failed? She just might need to take matters into her own hands.

Cisco entered the room, followed by their newest recruits. His doppleganger, this world's Caitlin Snow and Reyes. They were ready and willing to do as she commanded.  
"The three of you will go in and appeal to Barry's trusting side.' Astrid said, "Make him believe that the three of you have not been altered in anyway. You need to tell him that you broke free of your bindings and breeched your way to safety. Find out their plans, unlock the security doors and then send us the signal. I will send in my men to assist you… Focus on Gypsy and Zatanna… but leave Barry Allen to us, he will die at my will."

Her newest recruits were at her command. Within moments, their Cisco had breached the three of them out of there. "That guy has some great hair," Astrid's second-in-command said smugly after they were gone.

"Yeah, but yours is much better." She replied as she ran her hand through his hair.  
"Absolutely… But in all seriousness… are you going to be able to go through with ending Barry's life?" he asked her.  
"Well, if Thawne doesn't, I will need…" Astrid was interrupted by Malcom Merlyn's abrupt entrance.

"I apologize for my intrusion, General, but your doctor has had an accident. She has been killed." He said.  
Astrid felt a pang of emotion, but it was gone before she could be aware of it. "That is fine Mr Merlyn. I will need you to find me another doctor." Malcom nodded and left the room. Astrid and Cisco stood in silence.


	4. Chapter 4

Barry poured a glass of water and took a deep breath as he looked around the office at STAR Labs. It looked nothing like the one in his memories… of course not, this was an entirely different place.

However, those memories of his life with his friends: Astrid, Cisco and Caitlin, from his own world, gave him hope that he could get it all back again, no matter how impossible things seemed at that moment.

He took a sip of his drink and sat down on a chair. The internet servers were back up. They had come back on a few hours ago, just after Zatanna had left in search for her friends John Constantine and Kent Nelson.

Gypsy, who wasn't all that good at computers, was currently immersing herself into the world wide web. "Have you heard word on Zatanna?" Barry asked her.  
"Not at the moment. She's only been gone for a few hours… My guess is that, she has gone undercover." Gypsy explained.  
They were alerted to the intruder alarms sounding and they jumped out of their seats. Suddenly, a breech appeared before them. Cisco, Caitlin and Reyes had arrived.  
"Cisco? Caitlin!" Barry said.

"Barry! We managed to breech out. We need to be careful, it won't take them long til they realize that we're gone!" Cisco said. The sirens were still sounding.  
"Gypsy! Why didn't you come back for us?" Reyes asked.  
"I wasn't able to. Our mission was Zatanna and Barry… I'm so sorry." Gypsy apologized.

"No time for apologies, you guys! We need to think up a plan!" Caitlin chimed in. "Where is Zatanna? Please don't tell me this was all for nothing!"  
"No, it wasn't, Caitlin." Barry replied, "Zatanna is searching for help. If all goes to plan, back up will be here in no time."  
"Sounds good to me," Cisco said, as he made his way towards the computer, "When did the servers get repaired?" he asked, surprised. He began typing and clicking rapidly, and before long the sirens had stopped and he had pulled up a live security footage of the entire city.

"They've been up for a few hours, now." Gypsy replied.  
"It's good! It means that we have communication with the outside world! And with that communication…" Cisco continued.

"We will be able to bring in the Flash!" another voice surprised them. Oliver and Sara Lance had entered the office unnoticed. It had been Oliver who had spoken.  
"Come on guys… we know how this will go…" Barry replied, speaking confidently to Oliver, "We will fight… My friends and I will not go down easily... and even if you guys manage to bring me in, I will just escape again!"

"…I think you have things mistaken, Barry…" Reyes said, as his entire body transformed and his blue beetle suit emerged. "…We're no longer working with you!"  
Cisco had also stood up and had his hands raised at both Barry and Gypsy. "Yep… We're working with the general…"  
"You see, Barry. You're outnumbered." Oliver said, "The general had strict orders… she wants you dead!"

"…and she gave me the privilege of killing you!" Someone else had joined the group. He was dressed in a yellow suit… Eobard Thawne.  
Barry eyed them all, ready to strike. He looked at the usual soft-hearted, Caitlin Snow. Even she had turned on him.  
She was currently changing. Killer Frost was emerging. Once the transformation was complete, the girl analyzed her surroundings.

There was a change to her motive. "Are you serious? We're working with the Lords of Chaos, now? I am nobody's pawn!" Killer Frost demanded.  
She immediately shot forth an ice blast, directly in Sara's direction. Sara jumped out of the way of the blast and charged for Frost.  
Barry was surprised by the turn of events. Oliver shot an arrow for him and the blades from the Blue Beetle's suit extended in Barry's direction. Barry ran out of their direction and was met by Thawne standing in front of him.

"You're not going to be able to escape from all of us." Thawne told Barry.  
"No, but I can try." Barry replied, running in an alternate direction.  
Once again, the Reverse Flash stood in Barry's way. "You always do try to run, Barry. But that's growing a little old, don't you think? Why won't you fight me? I killed your mother… and you were forced to live that life… then I pulled the strings that ended in the death of your friends… and then I convinced you to reset time, knowing just what the Lords of Chaos had planned."

"You knew what would happen to my friends? That they would be manipulated? that they would do all of this?" Barry asked, puzzled.  
"Well, to be fair… Astrid was never a part of the plan… she should have died… I was supposed to lead the armies. Regardless, you will not get them back. They will both die and you will, once again be alone." Eobard replied.

Barry felt the anger inside him building up. He pushed Thawne with such force that he fell backwards into the computer desk, knocking the monitor to the floor.  
"That's it Barry. Let it out. Let it all out!" Eobard said menacingly. He wanted to make Barry angry, and it was working.

Barry ran at him and started punching him over and over, every punch stronger than the last. "That's it Barry. Do it! I killed your mother… and your friends are going to die too. You can't save them! You can't save anybody. Kill me, Barry… Do it!" Thawne continued to mock Barry.

"That is enough, Everybody!" The general's voice cried out over the commotion. "Thawne, I asked you to kill him. Not make him kill you, now get up!" she demanded.  
Barry had given up and was currently sitting beside Thawne, regretting his actions. He had let go of his anger so easily. Was it really this simple to lose control?  
Thawne got to his feet and in an instant he was standing in front of Astrid. He eyed her like a rebellious child. "You were sent here for one purpose…" Astrid scolded, "…You failed to kill Barry Allen and now you will be held responsible for your actions. Mordru will deal with you."

"You sent me because you are not willing to kill him yourself. Could it be that your emotions are getting the better of you? You are weak! Mordru was foolish to choose you. I would have made such a better agent!"  
"Bite your tongue!" the general's second in command scolded Thawne.

"No, Cisco. He is right. I need to prove to him that my emotions no longer control me." She looked at the doppleganger of her second in command. He was fighting Gypsy, who was currently invisible.  
She focused on his mind and let out a scream that only he could hear in his mind, entirely obliterating his mind. He screamed out in pain and fell to the floor unconscious.  
For the briefest of moments, Astrid realized what she had done. She regretted her actions immediately, but she did not break her composure.

Thawne stared at her. "You destroyed the mind of the doppleganger of the one you love… yet the object of your affections still stands… as does Barry Allen. This proves nothing!"  
Before Thawne could move, an arrow struck him right through his chest. He grimaced in pain, as Oliver released another, this time killing him instantly.  
"Thank you, Oliver." Astrid commended the man. "I believe that you have just received your promotion.


	5. Chapter 5

Astrid approached Barry who was sitting in shock at what he had just done. He had lost his temper and had almost killed a man.  
Astrid saw the compassion in him, the sadness, the guilt and the regret. She would give him one last chance to join them. She knelt down in front of him and removed her mask. She faced him at eye level, revealing to him the face of his friend.

Though, her face was entirely without emotion. Entirely calm. "You see Barry… all this anger, all this guilt and all of this sadness that you feel. We can take it away from you. You can have whatever you want, if you join us. You see the world through naïve eyes, even after everything that you have been through. The world is a dark… dark place, but we must evolve with it. So, what do you say? Will you join us, Barry? Will you join your best friends? The ones who know you… the real you?"

She was trying to reach him, emotionally. Her face was close to his. Her voice was soft and calming. She could not read his mind, but she could see his pain written all over his face. He blamed himself and she was offering him a way out.

"You're right, Astrid." Barry said softly, "You and Cisco… you are the ones who know me better than anyone. Just as I know you… the both of you." Barry shifted his gaze to Cisco and then back to her. 

"…Neither one of you really wants to do any of this. It was you who convinced me to use my powers to protect Central City, from the very beginning. Astrid, you were the only one who believed me about my father being innocent, even when all the evidence pointed to him. It was you who convinced me to go back through time to save my mother. The last words you spoke to me were that you would meet me at the CCPD elevators after I fixed the world. Those words have haunted me for a lifetime, since I found out that you had died… and then I see you here, asking me to throw everything away and join you. In the world i created, I got Iris. I got my parents. But I also had the memories. I still had my powers. Though none of it was real happiness. Real happiness was protecting the city, being part of something great… with you, Cisco and Caitlin. We were a family… are a family… and I will get you all back, I promise!" Barry told her adamantly.

Astrid and Cisco, for a brief moment had been thrown off guard by his words. He had affected them both for a moment. A tear glistened in Astrid's eye. She knew that her emotions were affecting her, that try as Mordru would like… he could not manipulate her emotions entirely.

Astrid blinked her tear away and when she had opened her eyes again, Barry was gone. Gone along with him was Gypsy and Killer Frost. They had made their escape.  
"I can't believe you let them escape!" Oliver said with frustration. "I just sent word through to my men that we wouldn't need them. That you had it all sorted!"  
"How dare you speak that wait to the general!" Sara told him, as she brought a weapon to Oliver's throat. "I'm sure that she would have a plan ready. I do not believe that she would let them escape."

"Miss Lance is correct," Astrid replied. "I knew that Killer Frost had no loyalty to us when I manipulated Dr Snow. That is why I had a tracker installed under her skin. There is only ever one mind in control of her body at a time and Dr Snow was happy to oblige… she inserted the tracker herself."  
"Then I had the system servers set up," her second in command added, "wherever they go, we will find them… and my guess is that Barry isn't running blind… their next location will give us some indication of what they have planned."

Oliver seemed satisfied with this answer. "Well, then what do we do with these bodies?" he asked, referring to the body of Thawne and Cisco's doppleganger.  
"Leave them." Astrid said, "Reyes I want you to accompany Miss Lance and Mr Queen. Your suit will be of great benefit on the front lines of the war. Oliver, introduce him to the Kryptonian. He should have some use for him."

Reyes bowed his head for his general and departed with Oliver and Sara.

"You really should make an appearance in the battle." Cisco said to her, once the two of them were alone. "Give them some encouragement against the agents of order."  
"I must admit… I am aching to get my hands dirty." She replied with a smile. Her second in command raised up his hand and within minutes a breech had been formed, leading them both to the campsite of their soldiers.

STAR Labs stood quietly, until the particle accelerator switched itself on. A force of transparent blue energy whirred about, along with flickers of red and white lightning.  
All of a sudden, a slim young man in his mid-twenties emerged and fell to the floor. His name was Bart Allen, known only as Barry to his friends.  
He had been broken, beaten and his legs were no longer working. He slid along the floor with the use of his arms, in search for the wheelchair that had once belonged to his old mentor, Dr Wells. Before the man had revealed himself as the traitor, that he really was.

Alas, he found it. He heaved himself up, with the very little energy he had left and sat looking around. He was confused. He knew that he was back in STAR Labs, but the question was WHEN was he?

The empty facility confirmed that he had indeed come after the explosion of the particle accelerator. The wheelchair had confirmed that Dr Wells was also not with them.  
Barry had been stuck in an endless time loop. He had seen the past, the present and the future over and over. To the right of him he saw surveillance footage of Cisco and Caitlin's office. On the floor lay two bodies, both of which he recognized far too well.  
"Cisco… Thawne?" Barry gasped.

He controlled the wheelchair, maneuvering it to the office as fast it would go. The first body that he came across was the Reverse Flash. He was even wearing his yellow suit. He had been struck by two arrows. He was clearly dead. Barry was astonished.

Next, he wheeled the chair over to the next body. Cisco Ramon's body. "Oh no! Cisco! I'm so sorry!" Barry exclaimed.  
Just as Cisco had heard his name being spoken, his head moved. He woke up and looked around, entirely baffled as to where he was. Barry was relieved that his friend was still alive, but was alerted to the fact that his friend seemed absolutely confused as to where he was, let alone who he was.  
"Cisco, are you okay? What happened here?"

Cisco remained silent and noticed the monitor that sat on the floor. The screen had been smashed, but the hard drive was still intact. Without a word, Cisco set the hard drive to another computer screen and pulled up the surveillance footage. There was no audio, but they were able to piece together all that had happened.  
It was as if Cisco's memory had been entirely wiped. He was confused as to how any of it had happened. Barry remembered a message that he had been given from inside the time loop. He needed to find someone, from an entirely different earth. Earth prime? He had never heard of it before, but maybe that was the key.  
Although Cisco wasn't in the right mind, he still seemed to have his knack for working with technology. Just maybe they could fix the particle accelerator to take them to that earth. Just maybe, they could go to Earth Prime.


	6. Chapter 6

The general arrived at her soldier's campsite with her second and was immediately met with by one of her soldiers. Ronnie Raymond gave her an update of how they were fairing. "General. We've been doing very well in this battle. The Kryptonian has managed to take out several casualties with his laser ability, alone. You were right to put him on the front line."

"Thank you for that update, soldier... His skills are highly exceptional. He volunteered for that role, promising me that he would not disappoint us. I am impressed to see that he hasn't failed us." Astrid replied, "Now shouldn't you and your brainier half be fighting alongside him, watch his back! He's too valuable an asset to lose!"  
"Right away, General!" Ronnie replied as he raced off to find Dr Stein and join the fight.

"It's good to see the kid is kicking some ass!" Cisco said, as he pulled out a laptop and began typing immediately. Astrid leant over his shoulder to see the screen, displaying satellite footage of the battle. Her men were annihilating the soldiers of order and she knew that Mordru would be happy to hear this news. She also knew that her latest failure with Barry Allen could risk her commitment to the lord of chaos himself. She knew what she needed to do.

"Cisco, what do you say we join the Kryptonian in the fight? We may need his help with Barry afterwards… what better way to take down a speedster than with someone who is faster than a speeding bullet, shoots lasers from his eyes and is more or less invincible?" Astrid said with a smile.  
"I still can't believe just how fast that boy grew up. It was only four years ago that we met his mother in Smallville. He was only four at the time... shouldn't he be eight years of age? But, I'd say that the Kryptonian might just be the perfect weapon." Cisco agreed.

"Are you forgetting the smoke cloud and the Smallville quarantine? That's what aged him. It aged the entire town! And it's a good thing it did as look at how well it worked for our benefit!" she replied.

Astrid removed her cloak, as she made her way for the battle. Underneath, she was wearing a black and purple skintight suit made from impenetrable high-grade materials... from her long sleeves, down to her high-heeled boots. Her brown hair had a blood red tinge to it and sat freely down to her middle back. Her black mask revealed only her eyes as it shielded her nose and mouth from recognition. To each leg, sat two small daggers in place, at the ready.

Cisco removed his cloak, revealing a black and brown leather-looking jacket and black pants to match. Both of which were made from the exact same materials. It was clear that he had created both suits, himself.

The two of them ran amongst the soldiers, Astrid with her daggers in her hands, Cisco's palms held at the ready to release projectile blasts. They made their way towards the center-front of the crowds of soldiers, fighting off their enemies on their way.  
When they had finally arrived, they found the Kryptonian that they were looking for. "Clark, You're doing great!" Astrid complimented his abilities as she stabbed one of her foes in the leg and crippled another with a mind scream.

The Kryptonian was roughly in his twenties and a pure killing machine. He was dressed in a red and black suit, along with a black cape and was floating a few feet off the floor. He set alight his current foe. using his laser beams, that he shot forth from his eyes. "How many times have I told you, not to call me Clark?" he demanded.  
"Sorry, it's just a habit. That's all. I should have said, 'You're doing amazing, Kal!" Astrid apologized as she marveled at his skills. For Kal's next move, he blew cold air from his mouth, freezing his next few foes in place.

"Once we finish today's battle. There is a special task that I have for you." Astrid said as she let off another mind scream. Blood began to trickle from her three current opponent's ears. They each dropped to the floor… all three were killed, instantly.  
Kal flew up into the air, at the speed of a bullet. Dodging fire from the weapons of their enemies. Once again, he used his laser beam, though this time killing crowds of the soldiers of order. It took a few moments to realize that the soldiers of chaos had prevailed the battle.

When the Kryptonian had returned to his place beside Astrid, Cisco had just joined them. "So, you could have done that all along?" He asked Kal.  
The Kryptonian nodded, "Yes, but I was enjoying the battle. But now I'm ready to move on to my next mission, at the general's request." He said, waiting for his next task.  
The remaining soldiers of chaos disbanded and returned back to their campsite. Some even thanked Kal, before returning.  
"I have a target for you." Astrid began, "He is a speedster. Much like Thawne. He is also an old friend of ours."  
"It'll be my pleasure. Just point me in the right direction." Kal replied, ready and eager.

Astrid and Cisco led the Kryptonian to the general's camp and Cisco pulled up a satellite map on his laptop. A red dot showed the location of Caitlin's tracker. They had fled to the next town over... Star City.  
"This map shows the location of Barry Allen, aka The Flash…" Cisco began.  
"He used to be a friend of yours?" Kal asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Exactly," Astrid replied, "but now he is nothing more than a traitor who needs to be stopped." She could feel her inner conflict. Her battle of will and truth against Mordru's influence on her emotions. But she knew Mordru's manipulation kept winning out.  
"Barry Allen is nothing more than a threat, that needs to be stopped." She confirmed with Kal.  
"So it will be done. As per your request, General!" Kal replied, and with that, he took to the skies searching for his target.


	7. Chapter 7

Barry brought Gypsy and Killer Frost to a place that he had been to only once in his past. Back in his own world. Below Verdant night club the former base of the Arrow. The door had been left open and the place had been abandoned, though it still had some imprints of a hero's base.  
"Where are we?" Gypsy asked him, as he managed to seal the door shut, closing them all inside.  
"An older hideout of a former friend. He used to be one of my heroes." Barry replied sadly.

"Are you sure that we're safe here?" Gypsy asked him as she looked over at Killer Frost, who had been examining their fort and had turn to look at them.  
"You're wondering if I will turn back into Dr Snow at any moment, aren't you? Well it's possible! Which is why I would like to ask… Why did you bring me here with you? I could get you killed!"

It was Barry who answered her question, as he stepped forward to get a better look at the girl. "You saved us back there. You might not think that you did much, but you did a lot. I wasn't going to just leave you... you saw what happened to Cisco."  
"Wow! A real hero!" Killer Frost scoffed. "It's no wonder Dr Snow thinks you're so cute!"  
"Excuse me?" Barry answered, surprised.

"Did I say too much? Woops! I guess I should explain… The sweet Dr Snow has been developing an awkward little crush on the Flash ever since they presumed Ronnie was dead. She digs the whole hero thing." She explained.  
"Um… I'm not that Barry…" He corrected her.  
"...Yet you still are… in a strange way…."

Gypsy interrupted them as she was feeling a little awkward being exposed to this conversation. "We should really be thinking up a plan… No doubt, the general and her henchman will find us. We can't just hideout and hope that they will give up looking for us."  
"You're right, Gypsy. We will need to think up something… and if I'm right, this base should be loaded with weapons that have been left behind…" Barry began searching the base for weaponry and equipment that they could use.

He opened some draws and cupboards and found a bow and some arrows along with some suits… Not Cisco-grade but they could certainly do the trick. He also found a red hooded suit. Faster than the girls could see he removed the hood and put on the red suit.  
He handed the bow to Killer Frost, but she refused… "I don't need it!" she had said, so he handed it to Gypsy, who took the weapon, happily.  
Barry noticed that the arrows were lined with a green familiar stone. "Those arrows look special." Gypsy noted.

"I've seen this before," Barry told her. "It's Kryptonite. But I've never seen it built into weapons this way. Take them, along with the regular ones. We might need them!"  
Killer Frost felt a sudden pain, to the right of her stomach. She raised her shirt a little and noticed Caitlin's scar from the time that she had had her appendix removed. It was red raw and there were fresh stitches, as if it had been resealed recently. She was certain that that wasn't the case. An alarming thought crossed her mind. She poked at the wound, it hurt all the more.

Her fingers came across something hard under her skin, "You guys!" she spoke with concern.  
They looked back over at her. "Is everything ok, Killer Frost? Frost?" Barry asked, not sure as to what name to address her by.  
She showed them the scar. "I think Dr Snow stuck a tracker in me. That can't be good!"

"Remove it quick!" Barry said quickly. The flesh around Caitlin's wound immediately developed an icy layer, numbing the skin. She opened her wound and pulled out the tracker as fast as she could and handed it to Barry.  
Barry disappeared for the briefest of seconds, taking the tracker to a faraway location and returned back to them.  
But when he had returned the door to their base had been pummeled down and there was a strange man with them.  
The tall dark stranger was wearing a red and black suit with a black cape. His hair was dark and he had a predominant jawline. He had hold of Killer Frost by the hair and Gypsy had been thrown to the ground.

"Who are you?" Barry asked the strange man, who was much taller and broader than he was.  
Gypsy, at that point had made herself invisible and was attempting to sneak up behind the man. The stranger threw Killer Frost across the room and into a desk, with one swift movement and turned to Gypsy.

She was invisible but he could see her standing there right where she was. He blew a breath of cold air at her and she turned to ice where she stood.  
Barry raised his eyebrows and ran to restrain the man, but the man swung at him and pushed him backwards. Barry flew back a fair distance and landed against the wall in the floor. He was baffled by the man's abilities. He was strong, he was fast, he had ice breath and as the man began to float towards him… no, he flew towards him! Barry could see that the man possessed flying capabilities too.

As the man hovered above him, Barry sat conflicted with a mixture of shock and amazement for the man. "My name is Kal-el. I'm a Kryptonian and I have been sent here to kill you, Barry Allen!" the stranger told him.

Barry was not ready to go down without a fight. "You'll have to catch me first!" he said with a smirk.  
Before Barry disappeared, he noticed a slight smile on Kal-El's face. Clearly, he was up for the challenge.


	8. Chapter 8

Barry ran fast and would not stop running. His goal was to get this man away from his friends for as long as possible. Kal-El, as he had called himself, was right behind him. Barry had to admit to himself that the guy sure was fast! Though Barry would not turn back. Not for a second. For a moment he felt hot… very hot, but he assumed it was just the heat that he was generating for running. But no. This was a different kind of heat.

His whole back felt like it was burning. He changed direction to the left and turned around to see his opponent. There was some sort of laser beam shooting from his eyes. It had begun to burn a hole through Barry's suit. This ability was new!

As the man with the amazing abilities realized that Barry had dodged his laser attack, he turned to Barry, ready to charge again. But Barry kept on running. He needed to out maneuver this man… but how?

This was the first time that he had fought someone this strong and had been by himself with no Cisco, Caitlin or Astrid to talk him through it. He tried to think of what they would tell him to do. Maybe he could cause a tornado to appear by running around the guy at full speed. But no, this guy would be right behind him at every step.

Maybe he could generate enough force to throw in an almighty punch... a super sonic punch, maybe? He doubted that that would work, but just maybe it was worth a shot. As he was running he begun winding his arm. He knew that Kal-El was right behind him, chasing him again. When he felt that he had enough force, enough strength behind him. He turned around and thought "here goes nothing."

He looked Kal-El square in the eyes, and pulled his arm back. Kal-El didn't flinch. He didn't move on the slightest. He just stared at Barry, waiting for the punch to come.  
Barry was unsure as to why he was just standing there, not doing anything. He brought his arm forward at full speed and connected with Kal-El's cheek.

It was a strong punch. Barry was sure of it… but the impact was next to none. Kal-El barely flinched. He just stared at Barry, who removed his arm and then punched him again. Once again, there was no reaction. Barry continued to punch the Kryptonian over and over again with super speed, but it was nothing more than a facial massage for the Kryptonian. "What are you made of?" Barry asked, "Steel?"

Kal-el smiled at Barry, "Does that mean that it's my turn, now?" the Kryptonian asked him.  
Before Barry could run away, Kal-El swung a punch at Barry. It hit him with full force, sending him flying backwards and landing into a street sign. This was the first time that Barry had realized that they were standing in a street.

He tried to get to his feet, but the Kryptonian was standing over him. He blew in Barry's direction, sending a gust of ice to his legs, freezing them in place. Barry couldn't move. He was stuck.

"So I caught you," Kal-El said, "I think this means that I can kill you now…"  
Barry tried to phase his legs. They wouldn't budge. He could feel his heart racing. There he was crippled, in front of a god-like being who was preparing to kill him.  
"Please… don't do this!" Barry pleaded. "We can work together. We can help people. We can end this war between the Lords of Chaos and Order and bring peace… please…"

"There will never be peace. Don't you understand? Everyone that we love will die… it's the way things are. You either join them… or you watch the ones you love die before your eyes… But I'm sorry… You have lost your chance, Bar."

For Barry, time seemed to slow down. Did this man really just call him Bar? This man barely knew him, yet he was using his nickname to address him. There was something to the way he spoke that was oddly familiar. Kal-El's eyes seemed to be in a trance. Was it possible for him to have his mind controlled? For Barry had seen this before.

From Barry's position, he could see two figures standing in the distance, behind Kal-El. Both were wearing black, one with a mask and the other; the other was Cisco.  
"You have come to see this man finish me off, Astrid!" Barry called out. "You can't even kill me yourself!"  
Astrid removed her mask and took a few steps forward, but she continued to stay behind the Kryptonian. "You could have made this easier on yourself, Bar. You could have joined us!" she said.

"You don't want to do this. I know that you don't. Its why you use your pawns to do it for you. You're having your emotions controlled… but you are still human. Thawne was right. You couldn't kill Cisco because you love him. Because you still feel. And you can't kill me because we were best friends... and we still are... The Lord of chaos can't change that, no matter how hard he tries." Barry was trying to buy himself some time to phase his leg. He knew that Astrid was holding the Kryptonian back with her mind control.

He took this as proof as to what he believed about her. That his friend was still in there, somewhere deep inside.  
"You're wrong, Barry. You're wrong about me. Look at everything I have done. I have killed millions of people for the Lords of Chaos and I will kill you too. You know that!" Astrid argued.

"So do it, Astrid! Do it yourself! You may not be able to read or control my thoughts unless I will it but I know that you can use your mind scream on me. You're strong enough to kill me, so do it!" Barry pleaded with her.

Astrid shook her head and freed Kal-El from his trance. He immediately shot lasers in Barry's direction. It burnt into his leg making him scream out in pain as it pierced through the ice and into his flesh.

"No, You're right! I can't do this!" Astrid screamed out, as she ran in front of the laser beams to protect Barry. He had been right. The real her was still in there, and she had just managed to break free for a second. Astrid faced her friend as the beam hit her and mouthed the words 'I'm sorry."

Barry saw the remorse in her eyes for every life that she had ever taken. A tear had formed in her eye and trickled down her cheek. Protecting him was her way of repenting. It was her final sacrifice. The laser bypassed her hair and hit the back of her head. Barry could just imagine the damage.

As her lifeless body fell to the floor, Kal-El realized just what he had done and turned away. It was clear that he had held such admiration for his general and was currently conflicted with how he was feeling. Cisco ran towards the general, the love of his life and sobbed as he held her close to him.  
"Cisco, I'm sorry…" Barry began.

"…Just don't you dare, Barry!" Cisco snapped at him, "Your leg is fine… Just go! Now!" he demanded without even looking up.  
Barry noticed that his leg had healed. He got to his feet and fled, before Cisco could change his mind about letting him leave.

Kal-El stood close by, as Cisco held Astrid in his arms. He closed her eyes with his fingers, and whispered "I love you," as he hoped that she would be at peace.  
"I'm going to breach her somewhere to put her body to rest." Cisco said to Kal. "Her death means that I have become the new general. I need you to rally the troops so I can inform them of what has happened here." Cisco said.  
Kal nodded and took to the skies to do as he had been commanded, while Cisco sat with his love for a little while longer, kissing her one last time.


	9. Chapter 9

A few weeks passed and Barry, Gypsy and Killer Frost had returned back to STAR Labs. Astrid's death meant that many of her mind controlled soldiers had disbanded. Even Caitlin, when she had reemerged, had retained control over her own mind. Nonetheless she had questions as to where her friend Cisco had disappeared to. She had thought that he too had died when Thawne had, but his body was nowhere to be found.

Gypsy had been waiting for Reyes to return. She had gone out to search for him numerous times but he never returned.  
Barry mourned the death of his friend and kept an ear to the ground listening for any news that would mean that he and his friends would be in further danger. There was none, which meant his next plan was to work out a way to get home. Back to his own little pocket dimension where he was planning on proposing to Iris. Without a breacher around, the dream seemed impossible.

"Z's back!" Gypsy announced, as she was viewing the surveillance cameras, "and someone is with her… what the hell are they wearing?"  
Barry and Caitlin rushed over to see what all the fuss was over. Sure enough, Zatanna was standing at the entrance with a figure dressed in blue and gold. Zatanna was wearing her complete ensemble. She had clearly found her wand and her top hat.  
"Quick, Gypsy!" Caitlin said, "Let them in."

"No need…" a voice came from behind them. Zatanna and her friend had magically appeared inside of STAR Labs. "How did you guys just do that?" Barry asked them.  
"Magic!" Zatanna replied.

Barry scoffed, "Zatanna, who is your friend? That's a pretty cool costume…" He said gesturing to the gold helmet.  
"Barry Allen…" The stranger said, he had a distinct voice that echoed throughout the room. "…By going through time you have altered time itself. You have caused a Flashpoint which has led to disruptions throughout the multiverse. It led to the death of a significant anomaly, who sacrificed herself to save your life…"

"…How did you know that?" Barry asked, "Who are you? Where were you when we needed your help?"  
"Enough questions, Barry. I can help you get back to the world that you are from. I can help you reverse all of this under two conditions…"  
"What conditions?" Barry asked the stranger.

"You must not travel back through time ever again…"  
"…and what is the other?" Barry asked him.  
"…Once you return, you must not reveal all that has transpired. To them, none of this would have happened. You will be the only one who has lived all of this… Do you agree to those conditions, Barry?"

"…A man name Eobard Thawne tricked me this same way in the past," Barry said, "…how do I know that I can trust you?"  
"You must have faith, Barry. Astrid Sutherland is an anomaly. One that you should never have known in your lifetime. But in the past, you saved her life. You would not remember this as it was in another timeline. But her destiny has not yet come to pass and she must yet live. I am asking for you to bring her back. To choose her life over the life of your mother's. I am having faith that you will do this."

Barry stared at the man. Who was this guy, and why was he asking this of him? But if he had the chance to fix all of him mistakes, he would do so within a heartbeat… Quite literally.  
Barry nodded, "I'll do it… Whatever you are asking of me, I will do it. Just tell me what I need to do."

"I need you to run, Barry. When you get back to the night where your mother was killed, on the other side of town, there was a car accident on East road. You must stop the accident and you must not be seen. No matter how hard you try, you will not get the chance to save both of them."  
"I've tried many times to change that… I ended up in some sort of pocket dimension." Barry replied.  
"I will help you. With my influence it will work… But you will only get one chance… Is that clear?"

"Very!" Barry said. When the stranger gave him the all clear, Barry ran as fast as he could back through time, until he returned to that night. He passed his own house as a sigh fell over him and he made his way to East Rd.

He scanned the street. The sky was dark but the traffic was very busy. Lights lit up the night. He saw a truck bypass a red light, preparing to slam into a small white car with two parents in the front and a small child in the back.  
That was the one. Barry ran as fast as he could, pulling out all three passengers from the car and taking them to the grass on the side of the road, safely, before the truck made an impact.

Barry hid behind a tree and watched the stunned family react at seeing their car being destroyed by the truck. The truck driver climbed out, he was fine but stunned all the same.  
As sirens began to arrive on to the scene, Barry smiled at the young Astrid. He thought that she had seen him from behind the tree. He was relieved that she was safe, but he knew that it meant that his mother had been killed.

He returned back to his old home and found his mother laying on the floor. She was holding on to dear life. "Barry, is that you?" Nora asked him as he watched over her.  
Barry didn't know what to say. "How do you…" he began.  
"I don't know how I know… but I know it's you, Barry. You've grown up to be so handsome and strong and brave." Nora told him, through gasps.  
"I'm sorry I couldn't save you, mom… I tried to, but…"

"Barry… I'm just glad I got to see you… I love you and I'm proud of you, always." Nora said as her eyes closed over.  
"I love you too, mom." Barry said and before he could be caught by his ten-year-old self or his father, Barry ran. Searching for his way back to his new reality.


	10. Chapter 10

Barry found himself standing in front of STAR Labs. It looked like the one from his memories. It had to be. He ran through the parking lot, up the stairs and to the 97th floor and looked around.

"What the hell is wrong with him?" Astrid's voice yelling was music to Barry's ears. He had to duck as a pen came hurdling past him.  
"Astrid!" Barry said softly under his breath. He raced up and hugged his friend, tightly.

"Er, Barry? Are you ok? I've only been gone for two weeks." Barry let her go and tried to remember what she was talking about, "two weeks? Oh that's right… Sterling City! You and Oliver broke up right? And you're angry at Cisco. Did you want to talk about it?"

"Barry, Sterling City? What have you taken? Are you feeling okay? Don't you mean Star City? What do you mean Oliver and I broke up? We were never even together… I went on business! But yes, you were right about Cisco. That guy is a real pain in my…" Before Astrid could finish her sentence, Caitlin walked into the room baring coffees.

Astrid ran up and hugged her friend. "Ooooh, Caitlin, it's great to see you, how was your honeymoon? Tell me everything… Well not… everything… but you know…" she demanded, playfully.

Caitlin blushed. "It was amazing! Thank you so much!" They were so happy to see each other.

"Astrid! That's not Caitlin, it's Eobard Thawne, he's a speedster! Ronnie is dead!" Barry gasped at the sight, alarming both Astrid and Caitlin.  
"Excuse me?" a familiar voice had entered the room, alongside Cisco. "I'm still pretty much alive here, Barry." Ronnie said, "A little disappointed in my wife's obsession with work… but that's something that I can live with."

Ronnie kissed Caitlin on the cheek and took the coffees from her as Astrid turned to Barry and placed the back of her hand on his forehead and checked his pupils. "Caitlin... I don't think Barry is well..." she said.  
"Nah you guys, I'm fine." Barry defended himself.

Cisco placed his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Well, he has been training more than ever lately... He even fell off his treadmill this morning... Maybe, he suffered a concussion?" he suggested.

Caitlin shun her torch to Barry's pupil's. But he pushed her hand away in a friendly manner.  
"You guys, I'm fine... Cisco is probably right... It's probably just a mild concussion." he said, remembering the strangers words to not reveal any of his past to any of them.  
Barry was confused by the scene. Ronnie was alive, as were Astrid and Cisco... and judging by the bedside manner, it was definitely Caitlin and not Thawne. Things had turned out better than he could have expected… or had they?


End file.
